Ghost stories in real life

[Kyriakos]

I have a story to share which could be thought of as a "ghost story", atlhough at the same time it can be attributed to a mere coincedence, and if not then it might have been an interesting hallucination.

It was at the time when i was in London. I used to go, in the second year of my studies, frequently to a greek bookstore in Tottenham Court Road, which for those who are familiar with that city is the street were most bookstores are located.
This particular bookshop was in a street extending to the main one. I had been there two times, the shop was owned by an old greek person, and there was also a younger one there, probably also greek. But afterwards i didnt go for a few weeks. Then, one afternoon, i decided to return.
As i was nearing the street- which i had to look for, since i didnt quite recall where it was- i decided to just pick one road at random, and see if i remembered the surroundings. However as i was walking in that path, without seeing anything i could recall, a black person walked to me.
He asked: "are you looking for the bookshop"? I said that i was indeed. So he said "It has been closed". And then left, after he made sure i turned around and walked away.

At first i had thought that it must have been some old employee. But i didnt notice anyone who was black at the two times i had been there. Then he might have been a customer, but just why could he remember me?

Anyway, i hoped you enjoyed reading the story.
If you have any to share yourself, please do, i am very interested in reading them :)

[Delta40]

Sounds interesting and frankly an intriguing plot for a story! Start writing about it before I do!

[Kyriakos]

Thank you Delta40 :)

I thought about constructing something out of it, but it is just a fragment. You can use the idea if you want to :)

[Haunted]

I thought the person telling you the store's been closed was the elderly storeowner, then you found out that he has been deceased since your last visit. That would be a ghost story. But this can be any living person who intuitively sensed that you were searching for a place that's no longer there. I don't know if this encounter is supernatural.

[Kyriakos]

True, he could have been someone also looking for the store, for example. Still in a city like London it isnt that common for a stranger to "guess" you are looking for the same small book-store, even in a small street.

My own estimate would be that he probably was another customer, who had been in the store when i was too there although i didnt see him at the time. Then he remembered me, and later on decided to talk to me about the closed store ;)

Of course he could also have been the dark spirit of Helena Olga Blavachky, whose book i bought from that store :D

[Haunted]

And she can back as a black man? nay. I would buy it if she came back as a bird or an alleycat, but opposite gender and all, sounds so out of character. Sorry if I busted your bubble :p

[Lulim]

It could have been someone who came past this place frequently, on his way to work or back, perhaps, and knew exactly what's been there and isn't anymore. So he guessed that you was looking for the bookshop. -- Why didn't you ask how he knew?

[Kyriakos]

He could, yes :)

I didnt ask because at that time (i was 18) i had social phobia, and wouldnt be starting a discussion with a stranger at any case.
Also i was quite fond of feeling that something mysterious was going on, so was happy to let things seem to be carrying the possible mystical explanation.

Note, however, that it was not even certain that i had been in the correct street, when all this happened :) That said, i too like to think it is explained logically, and i provided such explanations of it. But one never really knows.

[Emil Miller]

This story corresponds to something that happened to me a few years ago. It happened in China at a place called Hangzhou which is a beautiful tourist lakeland resort about two hours from Shanghai. I was standing at the edge of a lake when a long bottomed boat carrying Chinese tourists and controlled by a Chinese at the rudder went past the bank where I was standing. Suddenly, the man called to me very clearly "Hello Mr Bean", which is my name. I had never seen him before and was too surprised to say anything as the boat carried on across the water.

[Kyriakos]

Interesting :)

Could he have had the habbit of calling all englishmen as "mr Bean", after the famous Rowan Atkinson character?

[Emil Miller]

Interesting :)

Could he have had the habbit of calling all englishmen as "mr Bean", after the famous Rowan Atkinson character?

I thought about that but I don't think it was shown in China and the Chinese don't usually call out to strangers.

[Kyriakos]

Anyone else have something to share? :)